(June 19, 2016) LONDON – Was Sunday’s match Andy Murray versus Milos Raonic or John McEnroe vs Ivan Lendl? There was a moment…

Leading a set and serving at 3-1 in the second set, Raonic blasted (yet another) first serve and followed it in to the net, where he hit a perfectly formed classical backhand volley deep to Murray’s sideline. Murray immediately raised his arm and Hawkeye was consulted. It was out, by a centimeter or two. A few seconds and a couple of passing shots later, Murray was serving at 2-3 and holding for 3-3, and not long after that it was set-all.

Old-timers were ready with the historical analogy: it was just such a volley that cost McEnroe his only career chance at the French Open title! And he was playing Lendl! And leading by two sets and a break!

All week, Queen’s Club has been playing up the historical potential of this year’s tournament. Eight players have won the title four times: Ritchie, Wilding, Emerson, McEnroe, Becker, Roddick, and…Murray. If Murray wins this year, he’ll break the record. The press areas are adorned with posters of each of the eight players, lest we forget.

Where it seems clear Raonic can use McEnroe’s help is on covering the net. He has, of course, tremendously long arms (sleeve-watchers noted that he’d skipped the one-arm compression sleeve for this match, but it was notable that if he didn’t win the point on the first volley Murray was often readily able to pass him.

Murray broke again in the first game of the third set and held that advantage to 5-3. Raonic saved two championship points with fine serves, and then Murray fashioned a third with another of those passing shots. On the final point, Raonic came in – and couldn’t get his attempted volley over the net.

So Murray has his record-breaking fifth title and a nation hoping that Lendl’s reappearance in the player’s box bodes good things for a few weeks hence. Raonic, in congratulating him, wished him something he felt was more important: his first happy Father’s Day.

(June 12, 2016) Andy Murray is back with former coach Ivan Lendl. The world No. 2 had recently parted ways with coach Amelie Mauresmo.

Murray who is playing at Queens Club this week, talked to AEGON Champions TV about coming into the grass court season after some rest after the clay court season.

“Yeah, well I took five days off,” said Murray. “I didn’t do anything from Monday to Friday. I came in and practised here on Saturday but yeah I mean I’m obviously excited for the start of the grass court season. You kind of want to get out there and get used to the conditions but also you have to realise how long the clay court season was for me. I’d never done that well on clay before so I needed to let my body rest and recover a little bit before I started practising on the grass again.”

“I think obviously playing matches helps. And the amount of matches that I’ve played as well. Also the situations that I’ve been in, I’ve played a lot of tight matches, quite a lot of long matches so physically I’m not so concerned. Needing to get in much better shape, I think I’ve played enough matches for that. And yeah it’s just a matter of trying to maintain your timing with the change of surface which could take a little bit of time, but the first couple of practices have been good and that’s positive.”

Asked about being back with Lendl, he said:

“Yeah, well hopefully it will be for a long time, from my side. He’s coming over, he’ll be here for the tournament and it’s good for him to spend a bit of time with the rest of the team as well to see how things work out. But provided everything’s good, it will hopefully go on for a long time.”

“I think the most successful period of my career was while I was working with Ivan. I know what he can offer. The experiences he had I think psychologically he helped me in the major competitions and they’re obviously the events I’m trying to win and am competing for. I hope he can bring that same experience and those same benefits that he did last time.”

Murray is aiming for a fifth title at Queen’s Club.

“Yeah it’s a big goal of mine to try and win here a fifth time,” said the Scot. “It’s a great event, always with a really strong field. You know it’s got so much history this event, many of the greatest players ever have played and won here over the years. So if I can do it again and get to five, it would be a big achievement.”

The 29-year-old Murray won two majors and an Olympic gold medal in singles under Lendl’s tutelage – the 2012 gold medal, 2012 U.S. Open and 2013 Wimbledon.

“I had two very successful years working with Ivan, he’s single-minded and knows what it takes to win the big events,” Murray said in a statement on his website. “I’m looking forward to Ivan joining the team again and helping me try and reach my goals.”

From the USTA: (November 10, 2015) – The USTA today announced that eight-time Grand Slam singles champion Ivan Lendl, former world No. 7 Mardy Fish, and former American Olympian Jill Craybas will begin coaching with USTA Player Development as part of its strategy to involve former champions and top American players in the development of current American pros and juniors.

Lendl, Fish and Craybas will work with USTA Player Development on a part-time basis beginning this fall and winter. Lendl began working with a group of top 15- and 16-year old boys at a training camp held last week at Windsor in Vero Beach, Fla., and will continue working with the group through several USTA Pro Circuit and junior tournaments in November and December, and into next year. Fish will help lead several weeks of offseason training at the USTA Training Center – West in Carson, Calif., with a group of professional men. Craybas will begin working with a group of pro women during their offseason training at the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton, Fla.

The coaching partnerships are initial steps in USTA Player Development’s effort to be more deliberate in engaging past champions and former American professionals as coaches, advisors or mentors. In addition to Lendl, Fish and Craybas, USTA Player Development has also worked with or is planning to work with other former and current American pros, including Michael Russell, Brian Baker, Marianne Werdel and Ann Grossman-Wunderlich, among several others.

“We have done this on an informal basis – Andy Roddick, Jim Courier and Billie-Jean King, most notably, have been very generous with their time and willingness to work with our young pros – but we need to be more intentional about our outreach to former champions and top professionals,” said USTA Player Development General Manager Martin Blackman. “They have been in the second week of a Grand Slam or even hoisted the trophy on that final Sunday, and that is invaluable. We need to cultivate a culture that is characterized by a champion’s mindset, and when one of our young women or men spends time with a former champion, it creates a cultural connection that cannot be over-estimated.

“We are just in the beginning stages of our outreach, and there are American champions that we have not yet connected with, but so far the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Lendl, 55, is a former world No. 1 who won three US Open, three French Open and two Australian Open titles from 1984-90, and his 94 ATP World Tour titles rank second all-time. From 2012 to early 2014, Lendl coached Andy Murray to his first two Grand Slam singles titles, at the 2012 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon. Fish, 33, climbed to No. 7 in the world in 2011 and won six ATP World Tour titles in his career. He retired following a second-round finish at the 2015 US Open. Midway through his career, Fish committed to a disciplined approach to his conditioning and nutrition, which resulted in his best achievements and career-high ranking. Craybas, 41, played on tour for 18 years and represented the U.S. in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She won one singles title and five doubles titles on tour and won the NCAA women’s singles championship while at Florida in 1996.

(March 23, 2014) Defending champion Andy Murray moved into the round of 16 at the Sony Open on Sunday.

The No. 6 ranked Murray maintained his perfect record against Feliciano Lopez at 9-0 dismissing the Spaniard 6-4, 6-1. Murray who is looking to defend his title from last year and claim his third crown at the Sony Open.

Murray, who just announced a mutual split with his coach Ivan Lendl last week, had his former coach in his box in the stands on Sunday. Murray worked with Lendl for two years and the partnership lead to the Scot winning an Olympic Gold medal in 2012, along with US Open in the same year and Wimbledon in 2013.

“We’re back together again. It was only a four- or five-day split,” Murray joked after the match. “No, it’s a shame he won’t be watching many more of my matches from the stands.”

Murray’s mother Judy and admirer of Lopez’s form has been calling him “Deliciano” for the past few years. Murray led off the match by breaking the Spaniard’s serve and really never had to look back.

“It’s not always that easy to feel comfortable against him because there is not loads of rhythm with the way he plays,” Nurray said of his opponent’s game.

“But I moved well; returned well. Yeah, it was obviously a more comfortable scoreline than the other day.”

Murray will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga next after the Frenchman came back for a 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-5 victory over Marcos Baghdatis. He was when two points away from defeat at 5-1 down in the second set tiebreak.

The Miami defending champion Murray was faced with questions about the split during his pre-tournament Sony Open news conference.

“We sat down Saturday evening. We went and had dinner. We chatted for an hour about other stuff, and then we chatted about us moving forward.

“That had been planned for a few weeks. That wasn’t something that happened after Indian Wells. We planned to sit down when I got to Miami to discuss, you know, sort of moving forward.

“Yeah, it wasn’t going to happen. Yeah, the best thing to do was just to move on. You know, it’s a tough one for me because he’s been a big part of my life. He’s been a big part of my team. He made a huge difference to my tennis.”

“It was the mental side in dealing with those pressure situations that he was there to help with.”

“That was the biggest influence he had on my game.”

So is the search on for a new coach for the Scot?

“Can’t replace someone like him,” Murray said of Lendl. “It’s very hard to replace someone like him. But I would hope that I’ve learnt enough from him and a way to approach those matches and how to deal with those situations better. Because I have won those matches, so I know how to deal with it better now.

“But, yeah, obviously I would still like to have someone like that in my corner in those situations, because he’s going to help.”

Murray ended his season last year with back surgery and says he’s recovered. He’s 14-5 record on the year.

Andy Murray and Ivan Lendl announce that they have mutually agreed to end their two year coaching relationship.

News – Wednesday, March 19 2014

The partnership between Murray and Lendl brought an Olympic Gold Medal, US Open title and Wimbledon Championship.

“Working with Andy over the last two years has been a fantastic experience for me”, said Lendl. “He is a first class guy. Having helped him achieve his goal of winning major titles, I feel like it is time for me to concentrate on some of my own projects moving forward including playing more events around the world which I am really enjoying. I will always be in Andy’s corner and wish him nothing but great success as he too goes into a new phase of his career.”

Murray, who is returning from back surgery and preparing to defend his title in Miami, said “I’m eternally grateful to Ivan for all his hard work over the past two years, the most successful of my career so far. As a team, we’ve learned a lot and it will definitely be of benefit in the future. I’ll take some time with the team to consider the next steps and how we progress from here”.

Andy will lead Great Britain in the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup next month against Italy.

Lendl has recently played exhibitions in Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Charlotte and London. He has also been giving clinics in the Canary Islands as well as opening new courts in Bluffton, SC at the Ivan Lendl Junior Tennis Academy.

Under the tutelage of Lendl, Murray captured the Olympic gold in London in 2012 and the U.S. Open title in 2012. Murray became the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years in 2013.

NEWPORT, R.I., March 3, 2014- Tennis fans around the globe celebrated World Tennis Day at a huge array of special events on March 3, and a highlight of it all was the World Tennis Day Showdown in London, featuring Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, and Pat Cash. Between matches, the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum hosted a special ceremony to present official Hall of Fame rings to Agassi, Sampras, and Lendl. All three former world No. 1’s have been enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in recognition of their tremendous tennis achievements and the Hall of Fame rings are a symbol of this success.

The rings were presented by Hall of Fame Chairman Christopher Clouser, ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti, and Ingrid Lofdahl Bentzer, who serves as Vice Chairman of the Hall of Fame’s Enshrinee Nominating Committee.

“Andre, Pete, and Ivan have accomplished all that one can dream of in tennis – they are former world No. 1’s, Grand Slam champions, Davis Cup champions, and Hall of Famers,” commented Clouser. “These one-of-a-kind rings are a symbol of all that they have accomplished and their legacy in the sport.”

In addition to the rings, the ceremony paid tribute to the Hall of Fame Class of 2014, which was announced earlier in the day. John Barrett, British tennis journalist and historian, and Chantal Vandierendonck, a wheelchair tennis champion and 5-time Paralympic medalist, both of whom were named to the Class of 2014, participated in the ceremony.

The personalized rings were introduced in 2011 and are being presented to Hall of Famers at tennis events around the world over the next few years as a special symbol of their Hall of Fame enshrinement. The rings bear a green stone set in gold, to complement the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s brand colors. In addition, the rings are etched with each honoree’s name and the Hall of Fame logo crest. Ivan Lendl, an 8-time Grand Slam tournament champion, was honored with Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2001. Great American tennis rivals Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi were enshrined in 2007 and 2011, respectively.

(March 3, 2014) LONDON – Monday March 3rd brought us the Second Annual World Tennis Day, with marquee events in Hong Kong, London and New York. Designed to showcase and promote the sport of tennis from the grassroots to the very top of the professional game, this year, off the back of a successful inaugural event, The World Tennis Day got bigger still.

Whether by accident or design, this year’s the star-filled showdowns evoked the theme different eras. The Hong Kong gathering suggested the future, based as it is in a region where tennis is growing rapidly in popularity. Li Na from China headlined, a current Grand Slam champion who is leading the explosion in interest, but it seems inevitable that she will merely be the first in a line of legends from the region of Asia. She was joined by other stars of the Asia-Pacific region, Australia’s Sam Stosur and Lleyton Hewitt, as well as Tomas Berdych.

Meanwhile, the showdown in New York City showcased tennis in the present, with Novak Djokovic and Wimbledon Champion Andy Murray squaring off in Madison Square Garden, as well as the current doubles world number one team, the Bryan brothers, who faced off against the McEnroe brothers in a sibling setpiece.

London therefore reminded us of tennis’s past, with rivalries of the 80s and 90s brought back to life in the present day by four unique and iconic players – Pat Cash, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Cash and Lendl competed on numerous occasions throughout the 1980s, but perhaps most memorable was the 1987 Wimbledon final, won by Cash in 3 straight sets. However their overall H2H in their playing days was 5-3 in favour of Lendl, indicating the Czech usually found a way to neutralize the attacking style of Cash, at least away from the grass.

Perhaps more compelling still was the matchup between two Americans with diametrically opposing game styles and personalities, in the shape of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. These hall of famers *were* 90s tennis, though their mutual respect never risked developing into friendship, and their post-retirement relationship has been famously prickly, culminating in uncomfortable scenes at a charity tennis exhibition at Indian Wells a few years back. They competed in 34 pro matches against each other, with Sampras edging it 20-14, but dominating 4-1 in their Grand Slam finals. They tended to divide the fan base – the charismatic, extroverted yet more erratic Agassi tended to win over the crowds, but the disciplined, quiet winning machine that was Pete Sampras won over the purists with his classic serve-volley style, poker-faced demeanor and insatiable appetite for success.

In their pre-event news conference, the players were relaxed and joking, offering thoughts on playing pro tennis then vs now.

Sampras, on playing Agassi: “If I wasn’t on my game, if I wasn’t serving well, I felt like it was going to be a long day for me.”

Agassi: “He was the only guy I ever played where I felt like if I actually played my best tennis I actually still could lose.”

Pat Cash lamented the general slowing down of playing conditions in this era, feeling that hitting good groundstrokes and particularly good volleys, is just not rewarded anymore. Lendl felt that the strings as much as court speed were responsible for this change – the amount of spin a player is able to impart on a pass or return makes volleying such a dangerous proposition. Asked if he had any interest in joining the band of ‘celebrity coaches’, Agassi expounded on his current life being a barrier to the level of commitment required, but didn’t rule it out in the future – though his target would be a player not reaching full potential rather than a top player who already has all the tools he needs.

Ivan Lendl struggled to answer the question which player he most enjoyed beating, but eventually settled on Brad Gilbert, to the amusement of the other players on the panel.

With a few photo opportunities to round off the press conference, things wrapped up, setting the stage for a fascinating and entertaining evening.

Pat Cash and Ivan Lendl got proceedings underway with a super set match – first to 8 games. Both players showed off the sort of tennis that took them to the top of the game in their heyday. Cash fired down the big serves and followed up with some deft touches at the net, while Ivan Lendl demonstrated his back-court skills – finding sliced passing shots, delicate lobs, and some chipped backhands to make Cash’s life at the net very difficult.

The match was played in good humour, with plenty of banter between the two players and the near capacity crowd to keep it light. It was a nip-tuck affair until 6 games all, when Lendl threw in a poor service game, with a double fault and some unforced errors to hand Cash the crucial break. The Australian duly served it out, and remarked after the match how nice it was to play Lendl again. The Czech reciprocated, and revealed that his charge Andy Murray revealed after Acapulco that he’s feeling the best he has so far since the back surgery, eliciting a cheer from the audience.

After a demonstration of wheelchair tennis in the interlude between matches, with World #3 Gordon Reid showing off his impressive skills that look likely to see him to the top of the wheelchair game, it was time for the main event.

Agassi and Sampras were introduced to the crowd to a rapturous ovation, and quickly got down to business. Andre started much the brighter of the two, racing out to a 3-0 lead as Pete struggled with all aspects of his game. Soon enough, though, the booming Sampras serve, looking none the worse for wear for 12 years off the tour, was firing missiles, and Agassi was struggling to make much of an impression on the return. However, while Pete’s serve and forehand slowed many flashes of their former excellence, the backhand continually misfired throughout the match, and Andre, never slow to spot a weakness to exploit, began to target that wing with regularity, reaping dividends.

Agassi duly served out the first set 6-3, and was beginning to rasp winners off both wings with his trademark style, taking the ball early and thumping it flat over the net out of reach of his opponent. Pete would need to respond if he had any expectation of winning. He did raise his game in the second set – the serve held Agassi at bay throughout, but his return game continued to let him down, as Agassi dragged him into baseline exchanges that would end with a flashing winner from the Las Vegan, or a Sampras error.

The pattern of the second set resembled so many of their matches of old, as both held serve, and the crowd waited for one or the other to betray a moment of weakness. It took a tiebreak to separate the two, but once there, Agassi ran away with it, racing out to a 5-0 lead, hitting searing winners off both wings but particularly the stunning backhand, and taking the match 63 76(2) on a Sampras double fault.

Although the loser of the match, Sampras pronounced himself well satisfied with his efforts, and his enjoyment at being back on court in London was clear. For his part, Agassi seemed somewhat surprised at how well grooved his ground game proved to be, and thanked the fans for their support of the players, and the World Tennis Day initiative.

Posing with commemorative bottles of champagne, the two players took a lap of honour of the court, and handed the baton over to New York City for the last of the World Tennis Day showdowns.

For London’s part, the past came back to visit, and it was a welcome visit indeed. May there be many more.

(December 27, 2013) Add Roger Federer to the list of players hiring Hall of Famers as coaches. Andy Murray has Ivan Lendl andNovak Djokovic recently hired Boris Becker. The 17-time major champion Federer is adding childhood hero Stefan Edberg to his coaching team. Severin Luthi will continue to work with the world No. 6 as well.

The Swiss revealed on his Facebook page and website that Edberg “agreed to work with us for at least 10 weeks starting at the Australian Open.”

I am happy to announce that beginning in Melbourne, Stefan Edberg will join Severin Lüthi on my coaching team. Severin, who has been part of my team for the last 7 years, will do most of the weeks and Stefan has agreed to work with us for at least 10 weeks starting at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Stefan was my childhood hero, and I am really looking forward to spending time and learning from him.

“I’m really excited to be part of Roger’s team and I hope together we can bring out his best tennis,” Stefan Edberg commented.

Severin Lüthi added: “Roger will play a full schedule next year so we both wanted to make sure we had a solid team in place. I want to continue to improve and innovate Roger’s game and I really look forward to be working with Stefan. Like Roger, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Stefan and I am sure he will bring a lot to our team as Roger continues to chase titles in 2014.”

From the ATP World Tour – AUGUST 24, 2013 -NEW YORK — ATP World Tour No. 1s past and present gathered to mark the 40th anniversary of the Emirates ATP Rankings at the ‘No. 1 Celebration’, Friday night at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

The legends each took part in an on-stage Q&A with Justin Gimelstob and Guy Forget, sharing their experiences of reaching the summit of world tennis, before posing for a group photo with the ATP World Tour No. 1 trophy. Each year-end No. 1 received an engraved replica of the trophy.

“It’s definitely an ultimate goal for any athlete, not just tennis players,” said current World No. 1 Djokovic. “Growing up, in early childhood, you are inspired to show that love and appreciation and passion towards the sport, and of course there is this big drive – waking up every morning, working so hard, developing skills to be No. 1 in the world. Not many players have achieved that and to sit with fellow champions, it’s an incredible feeling… I’m really honoured to be here.”

Federer, who held the No. 1 ranking for a record 302 weeks, spoke about sharing the stage with the players who inspired him. “It was very important for me to have someone to look up to. Stefan was one of them, so it’s nice to see you here tonight and all the others players… We’ve put such huge effort in the game, and that’s a platform we can enjoy today. So it’s unbelievable. Thanks for being an inspiration Stefan, all of you here today.”

On a lighter note, a self-deprecating Roddick said, “It is an honour to be the worst player in the room.” Fellow American Courier added, “It’s a great honour to be here among friends. I dreamed of being in this arena, and to be part of this group is mind-blowing.”

The evening, part of the broader ATP Heritage programme, also included a tribute to former ATP Executive Chairman and President Brad Drewett, who passed away in May following a battle with Motor Neurone Disease. Drewett founded the ATP Heritage programme earlier this year.

“Brad cherished the history of the ATP and men’s professional tennis in general,” said Mark Young, CEO ATP Americas. “Tonight’s celebration is a reflection of that. It was his vision to see all the No. 1 players gathered together as we honoured their achievements.”

The ATP Heritage programme, with the support of its founding partner Rolex, will continue to serve as a platform to celebrate the rich history of the ATP and the remarkable achievements of the world’s greatest players throughout history.